Military pensioners Tuesday protested at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja, blocking the entrance with canopies and chairs to demand full payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
On December 5, 2024, the retirees shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to pay their claims.
They said they were owed a 20 per cent to 28 percent salary increment from January to November 2024.
They said there was official approval for payment, but ministry officials cited a lack of funds as the reason for the delay.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the Federal Government paid 50 per cent of the owed entitlements after the December 5 protest but they insisted on the settlement of the outstanding balance.
The retirees are also demanding payments for other outstanding benefits, including: Palliatives for the period between October 2023 and November 2024, an additional N32,000 added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.
At the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, the retirees erected canopies and placed chairs to block the gate, effectively preventing staff from driving into the premises, forcing many to park their vehicles outside.
